A MURDERER who replaced his anti-psycotic medication with cannabis has been told to pay back £18,000 of drug dealing profits.

Kyle Kay, who was jailed for life in November for the ‘merciless’ killing of 22-year-old Ryan Livesey last April, was found to have thousands of pounds stashed away by a police financial investigation.

He had been on bail for cannabis production at the time of the murder.

At Preston Crown Court, an order was made for him to repay £18,702 of his ill-gotten gains in the next six months or face an extra 10 months on top of his minimum 13-year term.

Kay, 25, of Whitehead Street, Blackburn, is a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic with a heavy cannabis addiction. He kicked his friend Ryan Livesey to death in a car park off Paradise Lane in Blackburn town centre on April 15, 2011.

At his sentencing, the court heard that Kay’s 'long-suffering mother' had referred him to mental health authorities since childhood and to a 'crisis team' in January 2011 for professional help, including him being sectioned at one point.

He was trusted to ‘self-report’ and was supposed to be taking his medicine. But instead he was abusing cannabis and drinking up to five litres of cider a day.

Kay had admitted cannabis production for his own 'extreme addiction' and supply to his 'circle of friends'.

Psychiatric reports had confirmed Kay's mental health issues and that his abuse of alcohol and cannabis 'exacerbated his psychotic symptoms'.

But experts said he was not 'actively psychotic' when he set about Ryan Livesey, who had learning difficulties.

The Lancashire Telegraph understands the financial investigations showed Kay to have more than £10,000 in one bank account alone.

Mr Livesey’s organs were donated to others following his death.